Walter h



W. H. SCHWAB AND F. B. SYKES.

AUTOMOBILE BUMPER.

APPLICATION man fm1?. mL

#Ta/w 2.9i f

naar i onirica BY MESltl'lE ASSIGNMENTS, TD BADGER MANUFACTURING CORPORATION, Wjhlttllil, 'lliISCONSIhT, it. CORPORATION OIF DELAWARE.

OF MIL- AUTOMOBILE-BUMPER'.

Specication of Letters Fatent.

Patenten sept. o, icio.

Application' iiled February 17, 1917. Serial No. 149,169.

To all fui/tom it may concern.'

Beit known that we, WALTER H. SoHwAn and FRANK B. Srniis, citizens of the United States, and residents of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful lmprovements in Automobile-Bumpers, of which the tollowin is a description, reference beino' had to t e accompanying drawings, which are a part of this s eciication.

The invention re etes to buffers or bumpers.

'lhe invention is designed more particularly to lprovide a bilder which ma be readily and quickly attached tothe ront ends of the frame members of an-automobile without the alteration byl the drilling of holes through the trame of the machine or removal of parts therefrom.

It is now quite customary to provide a :mud apron at the front ot the automobile between the side frame members consisting 'for attaching the bumper brackets to the itrame consists ot straps or plates passing around both sides and beneath the side trame members. With an attaching means ot this kind it would be necessary to drill l holes or cut portions of vthe 'iront mud apron away to attach the louder thereto and to obviate this dimculty the present form ot bader bracket has been devised by forming a bracket which does not interitere with the mud apron.

A further object of the invention is to pro.

vide a simple and efficient bumper bracket construction which may be readily`clamped onto the front ends of theV side frame mem bers of various degrees of curvature and is .thus well adapted for use on cars of dif ferent types and makes.

i 'lhe invention is further designed to provide a simple and readily adjustable bud'er :tor automobile or other Vehicles.

llhs invention consists in the several features hereinafter set forth. and more particularly defined by claims vat the i conclusion hereoit.

ln the drawings:

Figure 1 is aperspective view of the bader showing it applied to the front end ot tilt ets 7, a vertically adjustable yielding conf nection between the brackets and the bar,

.and means for adjustably connecting said brackets to the :trame members.

In the present instance we have shown a round bar but it is to he understood that square channel or diamond shaped bars may be use Each ,bracket 7 consists of a vertically extending upper portion 8 and a channel portion 9. The upper portion 8 has a horizontally extending hole 10 therein for receiving a pivot bolt 1l and an annular toothed portion 12 on its inner side 13, and

outwardly extending lugs 14:v on its outer side.

"Ihe upper and lower inner sides of the channel portion have arcuate inclined sur yfaces 15 and 16 so that the bracket may be slipped over the outer side, top and bottoni of traine members of various curvatures and be secured thereto by set screws 17 en. gaging the under. side of thev lower flange oit the channel frame member and have a wedging engagement .between the bracket and the frame members, said screws passing through threaded apertures 18 in the lower Hangs of the channel portion of the bracket and being provided with lock nuts 19. A

portion of the surface 15 is recessed hetween the lugs 14 so as to provide for ease of adjustment of the brackets in position on v the frame member.

Thus the bracket may be tightly clamped to the frame member b the clamping and wedging` engagement etween the upper flange of the channel portion of the bracket with the upperflange of the frame member and the lower tlange of the frame member with the screws 17, and the surfaces 15 and t6 are so curved as to permit the use of the bracket on frame members having front ends ot various curvatures, the screws 17 accommodatiiip furthe chaiipee. Itwill be noted that the channel portion 9 in combination with the screws v17 forms the means for detachably securing the bracket to its fra-mc member.

Thus the construction of the bracket above described permits ofthe ready attachment of the buffer to the side members 6 without interference with the mud apron 3 between said members.

The means for adjustably connecting the bar 4: to the brackets 7 comprises in each instance, a buffer arm 2O adjustably connected to the bracket for vertical movement lwith respect thereto, a rod 21 adjustably connect ed to the bar 4 and a yielding connection between said buffer arm and rod 2l. The buffer arm 20 consists of a tubular portion 22 and eyed end 23, said eyed end having an `annular toothed portion 2l on one side thereof adapted to register with the toothed portion 12 on the bracket so that said arm may be secured in various positions of vertical adjustment with respect to the bracket and frame members by said toothed surface and thezclamping and pivotal Ibolt 11 which locks said arm and bracket together. The tubular portion of the bracket has an annular flange 25 at its front end provided with notches 25 for a purpose hereinafter described and an annular web 26 forming an opening 26 therein and a shouldered portion 27.' The rod 21 comprises a cylindrical portion 28, a shouldered portion 29 provided with lugs 30 and an eyed head 31 for adjustably receiving the bar 4 to which it is secured by a set screw 32. The yielding connection between the arm 20 and rod 2l is a spring 33 which surrounds the cylindrical portion of the 'rod 21 and is interposed between the web 26 and the shoulder 29, the rod being held 'Within the tubular portion of the arm by the lugs 30 contacting with the ange 25, the rod being thus secured 'by bringing the lugs 30 into register'with the notches 25 and moving the rod inlx) the arm and thereafter turning the rod or arm to move said lugs or notches out of register` In opera-tion, any shock occasioned by the bar 4 striking or being struck by another object, will be transmitted to the frame members ot the vehicle through the connecting means and the brackets and the springs forming part of the connection between the ibar and the brackets will serve to partially absorb the shock delivered-to the buffer bar.

Due to the tapering fit between the top tures.

and bottom flanges of the brackets and the tapered forward portionof the side bars any shock on the bar transmitted to the brackets will Wedge the bracket and its fastening tion with a buffer bar, of a pair yof one piece 1 brackets for attachment to the curved front portions of the side frame members of an automobile. each of said brackets provided with a lower channel portion for en'ibrafcing the top, bottom and one side of said incinbers, set screws passing through the lower {iange of said channel portion and engaging the under side of the low-er r,flange of the channel frame member, and means for -adjustably and yieldingly connecting said bar to said brackets, said brackets adapted to be secured either to abut against the outer side of the side bars or to albut against the inner side of the side bars.

2. In an automobile bumper, a one piece bumper bracket having a channeled portion adapted to enrbrace the top, bottom and one side of the tapered port-ion of the side bar of an automobile, said channeled portion bein shaped to conformi to the curvatum of said bar to form ivedging engagement therewith when said bracket is subjected to im pact, and a set screw for removably clamping the bracket to the :ii-de bar. 3. A bumper for attachment to the tapered portion oit' the 'side bar of an auto'mobile, comprising a one piece bracket for cmbracing the top, bottom and one side of the tapered portion of the side bar and cooperating therewith by a wcdging action when the bumper is subjected to impact, a set screw for removably clamping said bracket to the side bar, and means for attaching a bumper bar to said bracket.

In testimony whereof we aix our signa- WALTER H. SCHWAB. FRANK B. SYKES. 

